The chart at left (click on it to enlarge) was compiled by The Washington Monthly’s Kevin Drum in response to Juan Cole’s assessment of claims the surge is a “success.” I guess the President’s sneak visit to Iraq this morning, aside from detracting from traditional labor day speeches that would otherwise pound this Administration for what it has and hasn’t done to/for working people and their families, is to deflect attention from the emerging facts on the ground in Iraq.

It’s no surprise that General Petraeus has already given a preview of “his report” to President Bush. After all, if the White House is planning to write Petraeus’ report, they should probably get their stories straight before Petraeus goes on Fox News or before another private briefing to the Republican caucus. Buried in Sunday’s New York Times, we find this David Sanger article:

During Mr. Bush’s visit to the Pentagon on Friday, he also heard a presentation by Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, that appeared to preview much of what he will tell Congress when he gives his Iraq progress report scheduled in nine days.

According to Sanger’s senior Administration sources, the essence of what the President heard is that the best thing he and Petraeus can report to Congress is that the Administration got lucky . . . by failing. With absolutely no help from the “surge” of 30,000 extra troops, but due exclusively to having given up trying to impose a Shia-dominated central government on al Anbar Province, Petraeus allowed the Sunni resistance to take de facto control of their region. As a result, the US now finds the rebellious Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar Province cooperating with the Americans in ridding their region of their more extremist al Qaeda rivals.

Since giving up on central control is completely contrary to the surge’s goal of strengthening the central government’s hand so that it could achieve political accommodation, this concession needed a positive sounding name: the Administration calls it “bottom up reconciliation,” which makes sense only if the Sunnis and Shia central government are actually reconciled to each other — but of course, they’re not and there’s no evidence they will be in the near future.

This explains why, as Sanger reports, one of the two main topics of the briefing was how to get around al Maliki’s government to reward America’s new-found Sunni allies, since the pro-Iranian al Maliki thinks it’s crazy to be giving money (e.g., to buy arms) and economic development assistance to an armed Sunni resistance that still wants to oust the Shia-dominated central government. So the Administration is scrounging around State and Defense Department accounts for pay-off money, because, as the British Generals reminded us on their way out of Basra this weekend, Rumsfeld persistently vetoed the plans for supporting this kind of accommodation. And al Maliki no doubt remembers that these are the same people who have been killing Shia in other regions and whom Cheney and Rumsfeld once called “terrorists” and “dead enders” in their “last throes.”

“This is all about finding ways to circumvent Maliki,” said one senior official who is involved in preparing Mr. Bush’s presentation of a new strategy, which will probably come in an address to the country after General Petraeus and the American ambassador to Iraq, Ryan C. Crocker, have presented their report to Congress starting on Sept. 10. “We can’t go to the Hill again and say Maliki will perform if we just give him the space. He won’t. So you find other means to accomplish the goal.” [emphasis mine]

Translation: the surge “give ‘em space” plan failed. But that Administration concession was not as jaw dropping as this one from the same officials on the same briefings, tucked innocuously in another Sanger piece on another topic in the Times’The World section (Times Select):

“It quickly became a discussion of the political and economic rewards we can encourage, rather than the math of how many forces we need to keep there,” said one official. He wondered aloud whether the United States would still be in Iraq if “we had the same conversation four summers ago.”

Translation: the Bush Administration now leaks statements admitting that their incompetence, arrogance and muddled thinking extended the US occupation for years.

Why would the White House leak such statements? My guess is that the White House believes that implicitly conceding four years of terrible judgments, and admitting the decision to throw 30,000 additional troops into Iraq was a mistake, don’t matter. They think they’ve “won,” not in Iraq where the infrastructure is in shambles, there are 1.1 million more people uprooted from their homes this year, health conditions are deteriorating, and the violence far worse than 2006, but in Washington. And winning in Washington no matter how bad things are in Iraq means they can continue to do whatever they want subject only to the constraint that they have to withdraw the 30,000 surgers because they can’t sustain them beyond next April.

So the only real discussion is not with Congress but inside the Pentagon, about whether to start drawing down troops a little at a time, starting now, or a brigade a month early next year. Better to do a little at a time now rather than face questions about why they’re giving up on the “gains” they claim resulted from having more troops.

And all this can be done in their own sweet time, while soldiers continue to die, because Congress, just like the Iraq Parliament, behaves as though they no longer matter. And if you behave that way, you really don’t matter.

Update: Newsweek explains another reason why Petraeus can claim sectarian killings are “down in Baghdad” — because the Shia militias have essentially driven the Sunnis out of large parts of the city, or forced them to live behind concrete protective barriers. “Sectarian cleansing” has succeeded where the surge couldn’t. And Steve Clemons finds corroboration from Nir Rosen, via CNN.

You know I don’t much care for the smell of moral cowardice in the morning and the stink coming off of Congress is enough to gag a maggot. ‘Democrat’ Party ‘Leadersheep’ are bidding fair to let Bush destroy our government just as he is Iraq’s.

I’ve had enough and woe to any ‘Democrat’ yellowbelly who shows up here or at OrangeLand to crow about his/her great achievements in this the ‘YellowBelly’ Congress.

Bush, accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, was met here by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and was scheduled to meet with his top Iraq commanders and a broad range of Iraqi leaders. He is also meeting with a large group of Marines based here.

“This is the last big gathering of the president’s top military advisors and Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward,” said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. “He has assembled his war council here.”

“This explains why, as Sanger reports, one of the two main topics of the briefing was how to get around al Maliki’s government to reward America’s new-found Sunni allies, since the pro-Iranian al Maliki thinks it’s crazy to be giving money (e.g., to buy arms) and economic development assistance to an armed Sunni resistance that still wants to oust the Shia-dominated central government.”
(Snip)
“And al Maliki no doubt remembers that these are the same people who have been killing Shia in other regions and whom Cheney and Rumsfeld once called “terrorists” and “dead enders” in their “last throes”

Re: “This explains why, as Sanger reports, one of the two main topics of the briefing was how to get around al Maliki’s government to reward America’s new-found Sunni allies, since the pro-Iranian al Maliki thinks it’s crazy to be giving money (e.g., to buy arms) and economic development assistance to an armed Sunni resistance that still wants to oust the Shia-dominated central government.”

How to reward America’s new-found Sunni allies? The fact that this question of reward has to be asked should raise another serious question about whether Sunnis should even be considered our allies. If they sat on 1/3 of Iraq’s oil reserves, I get the feeling they wouldn’t appear as cozy with a US military presence. They are not our allies.

I sense that they are merely catching their breath to plot their next move in a generations long fight. As it stands today, they are a minority of the Iraqi population and control no oil reserves. They have virtually nothing in terms of money or influence and therefore the least to lose by ‘cooperating’ for the time being.

Bush, accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, was met here by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and was scheduled to meet with his top Iraq commanders and a broad range of Iraqi leaders. He is also meeting with a large group of Marines based here.

“This is the last big gathering of the president’s top military advisors and Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward,” said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. “He has assembled his war council here.”

…

I just hope he took Michael O’Hanlon with him. That way he’ll get the deluxe dog and phony show.

Bush, accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, was met here by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and was scheduled to meet with his top Iraq commanders and a broad range of Iraqi leaders. He is also meeting with a large group of Marines based here.

“This is the last big gathering of the president’s top military advisors and Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward,” said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. “He has assembled his war council here.”

I swear, I’ve just about hit the “Go back to Sleep” button. It’s pretty sad and it seems no end in sight.

This is just bitch and moan day. Tomorrow we talk about strategy. There are some good Dems out there, and they need support; and there are others . . .

I’m thinking the $197 billion supplemental for Iraq/Afghanistan is the place to start undermining the Administration’s ability to conduct an overt war against Iran. I’m afraid the Iraq piece is set through Bush’s term — but I’d like to know whether anyone thinks we still have a shot at turning that around. I just don’t see it.

The “moderates” are hiding under their chairs looking for ways to save themselves from 2008, without saving a single soldier’s life.

Morning all you pups. Bright sun here, but dreary anyway. Surely glad to have you folks for company.

Scarecrow. You write such incredibly valuable stuff. You have a gift for putting complicated situations together so, no fault of yours, they sound as crazy as they are. I have a dream, idiotic but true, jr. running to & fro in the green zone, trying to find a place, any place, to set down his cardboard turkey… Then I wake up with a jolt, and find it’s – idiotic but true…

Congress. PLEASE. We beg you. DO something, preferably SOON and with valid reasons.
Your were elected to represent your electorate, and to lead. Please.Do.Your.Jobs!

I’m going to see how cool I can keep it without turning on the air today — though it took forever to cool off the place last night.

Don’t know anything about your home, but if you have a window fan, place it in a second floor window blowing out. If you don’t have a second floor, put it in a window on the south side blowing out, drawing air from the shady side.

So the only real discussion is not with Congress but inside the Pentagon, about whether to start drawing down troops a little at a time, starting now, or a brigade a month early next year.

Since everything is politics to these people, they’ll probably use this to claim they are ‘drawing down’ the troops, as the war is as popular as dirt, and it’s an election year. This too will be spun as ‘progress’ (instead of a broken military) and the sheeplike press will duly report it as such.

Yep. And if you can find me an animated version of that, I’ll steal it.

RevDeb — hello to PA. How’s the new job? Never thought about the Powell analogy, but I think Petraeus is more a willing champion than a reluctant defender. Pet is a believer.

New job—so far so good. Mostly meetings. First big Sunday coming up this weekend.

Spent hours yesterday trying to get my wireless printer to work wirelessly like it did in the old Comcast/Airport/MA days. It seems that after taking my money for tech support at HP on the phone I find out that they can’t help Mac users on Sunday.

If Pet is a believer then we are in even more trouble than I thought. Major lack of judgement there!

While the Democratic Congress has yet to begin a serious investigation into what many European legislators already know about American war crimes, a particularly telling report by the International Committee of the Red Cross has been leaked that would surely figure prominently in such a potential Nuremberg trial. The Red Cross itself is bound to public silence concerning the results of its human-rights probes of prisons around the world-or else governments wouldn’t let them in.

But The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer has sources who have seen accounts of the Red Cross interviews with inmates formerly held in CIA secret prisons. In “The Black Sites” (August 13, The New Yorker), Mayer also reveals the effect on our torturers of what they do-on the orders of the president-to “protect American values.”

I’m thinking the $197 billion supplemental for Iraq/Afghanistan is the place to start undermining the Administration’s ability to conduct an overt war against Iran. I’m afraid the Iraq piece is set through Bush’s term — but I’d like to know whether anyone thinks we still have a shot at turning that around. I just don’t see it.

don’t know… but, imo, too important not to try. and in any event, the more pressure we create now, even if not successful, will make clear our expectations for the next administration and the next congress.

if jayackroyd is correct, we may find outselves in 2009 with a D president who does not want to bring our troops home.

I love the part where we’re aiding pro-Iranian factions on the one hand and threatening Iran itself on the other. I mean, that is just mindbogglingly stoopit.

In the last few days, I’ve started to increasingly feel that the scary WH saber rattling with Iran is more of an ongoing distraction by the WH to appear strong to cover for its wholesale failure and internal implosion. I also suspect that the reason for a current setup only being for a surprise attack on Iran is occurring because any thoughtful public debate and coalition building for an attack would be crushed to an embarrassing degree by American public and global opposition.

Given the criminality and gross incompetence of this gang, I still don’t dismiss any possibility at all but increasingly I see the Bush threats to Iran as a sign of trying to hide weakness.
.

But… guy next door in process of blowing his top… again. Seemingly paranoid and potentially quite dangerous to self and others. Wish he could get help. His family trying to cope. We trying to stay out of the way, which seems the best we can do. Still, he’s got a big sign in the hedgerow tw’ our properties: “Stop Staring!” So I get yelled at for filling our bird feeders and tending the garden.

When looking at the claims of reduced death casualties, one finds the August number at 57 instead of 81. This is because they are only counting combat casualties. They are discounting 23 in theater accidental deaths. At least 19 in crashed helicopters. Gee……ya think those 23 people would be alive if they never went to Iraq?

My work schedule is already brutal, supplying an addicted nation and all. If we invade Iran, I’m afraid I’ll have to clone myself.

As it stands now, my dispatcher tells me if I can’t get everything done in 24 hours, I’ll have to start working nights.

Interesting thing about gasoline prices: if someone said, we should tax gasoline at a higher rate to discourage consumption, they’d run them out of town. But if we start a war and it doubles the price of gasoline, and we have to pay for the war, the country cheers and salutes the flag.

We need to learn to pay more of the true costs of fossil energy without killing people to do it.

I’m thinking the $197 billion supplemental for Iraq/Afghanistan is the place to start undermining the Administration’s ability to conduct an overt war against Iran. I’m afraid the Iraq piece is set through Bush’s term — but I’d like to know whether anyone thinks we still have a shot at turning that around. I just don’t see it.

don’t know… but, imo, too important not to try. and in any event, the more pressure we create now, even if not successful, will make clear our expectations for the next administration and the next congress.

if jayackroyd is correct, we may find outselves in 2009 with a D president who does not want to bring our troops home.

Morning all you pups. Bright sun here, but dreary anyway. Surely glad to have you folks for company.

Scarecrow. You write such incredibly valuable stuff. You have a gift for putting complicated situations together so, no fault of yours, they sound as crazy as they are. I have a dream, idiotic but true, jr. running to & fro in the green zone, trying to find a place, any place, to set down his cardboard turkey… Then I wake up with a jolt, and find it’s – idiotic but true…

Congress. PLEASE. We beg you. DO something, preferably SOON and with valid reasons.
Your were elected to represent your electorate, and to lead. Please.Do.Your.Jobs!

Adie, I have yet to figure out why you and I should have to beg ‘em to do their jobs. I would, however, love to disabuse them of the idea that what they’ve been doing so far consists of passable work for which they’d earn a passing grade. You’d think their poll ratings would tell them they are failing.

My work schedule is already brutal, supplying an addicted nation and all. If we invade Iran, I’m afraid I’ll have to clone myself.

As it stands now, my dispatcher tells me if I can’t get everything done in 24 hours, I’ll have to start working nights.

{{{{Oilfieldguy}}}}
We’ve been missing you in the comments. Thanks for checking in. Your experience sounds so familiar. Somehow the guys actually doing the work are being squeezed harder and harder by the machine at the top.

Clusterfuck butchered 491 troops in the first eight months of 2006–before his surge became effective. Then in 2007 after the great “surge” strategy- he has butchered 775. So his surge killed an additional 284 troops. That’s an increase of 58% from the butchery that occured BEFORE the surge..

He has also butchered thousands more Iraqis- but they don’t count…

The generals all told him not to do his fuckin surge- but he needed to do something to save his war politically..

So now that his political manuever is shown to be a total and complete failure- what’s he gonna do–? Lie about it of course and say that it was incredibly successful..

He covers up the increase in troop deaths by not counting em- yeah we won’t hear about “deaths” we’ll here about a reduction in ATTACKS.. He’ll claim that the increases in Iraqi deaths are all bad guys and say that it’s a great victory ta have em all dead..

“Yankee Doodle went to town a ridin on a pony- stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni”

A war with Iran would far more than double our gas prices. It would bring our country to a screeching halt.

Well, except for me.

Well it’s crazy. It’s completely batshit crazy. I don’t even see how the robber barons benefit from this one AT ALL. Absolute insanity, and even more crazily no one in the gov’t seems inclined to try and stop it…

Alright…got lots to do and no cool temps so might as well get started…

I’m not sure what motivates Congress anymore. Aside from getting re-elected. I don’t even want to start on the frontrunners of either party, and their motivations. I’m disgusted with both political parties. But I’m angry with mine. Not for not accomplishing much, but because of the suffocating pandering to Bush over the Iraq War. And I really hope nobody accuses me of the ‘circular firing squad business’. Principle trumps pragmatism every time in this house.

Yep. And if you can find me an animated version of that, I’ll steal it.

gimme a few minutes…

No joy – can’t find it now – was Watertiger’s a clip of an animated figure typing, more and more furiously, then banging head on keyboard until things get, umm, bloody?

That’s the one I was thinking of! I found a truncated version, but not the whole thing. Couldn’t come up with good keywords or references to it though (gosh, lots of results on “keyboard head exploding” though.

George Bush, the US president, has arrived at Al-Asad air base in western Iraq on an unannounced visit.

White House officials said he was accompanied on the trip on Monday by Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, and Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser.

Waiting for him at the base was Robert Gates, the defence secretary; General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Admiral William Fallon, the commander of US forces in the Middle East; and General David Petraeus, the senior US commander in Iraq.

There’s this classic icon but I can’t find the full version of it (where the head explodes messily after frantic typing). This one is cut short just before that, but still good…

That’s priceless — can we use it? copyrighted?

Unfortunately I have no idea until I can track down the original. But if that’s what you’d like to try & use, I’ll keep hunting for the original and let you know. If someone else doesn’t beat me to it…

Clusterfuck butchered 491 troops in the first eight months of 2006–before his surge became effective. Then in 2007 after the great “surge” strategy- he has butchered 775. So his surge killed an additional 284 troops. That’s an increase of 58% from the butchery that occured BEFORE the surge..

He has also butchered thousands more Iraqis- but they don’t count…

The generals all told him not to do his fuckin surge- but he needed to do something to save his war politically..

So now that his political manuever is shown to be a total and complete failure- what’s he gonna do–? Lie about it of course and say that it was incredibly successful..

He covers up the increase in troop deaths by not counting em- yeah we won’t hear about “deaths” we’ll here about a reduction in ATTACKS.. He’ll claim that the increases in Iraqi deaths are all bad guys and say that it’s a great victory ta have em all dead..

“Yankee Doodle went to town a ridin on a pony- stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni”

How did the colonists know that this Doodle asshole was comin?

Exactly! What I’ve been hearing on NPR last week (right-wing lapdogs) is that the number of attacks are down. Fewer attacks, but more kills. (they changed the metric to present a rosy picture) That demonstrates better efficiency. When the weather cools off, the enemy will increase attacks and kills.

If (or rather when) Bush does start bombing iran, we he people need to have an immediate push back that will bring things to a point here were our opposition is clear. A Washington march maybe one thing but I don’t think that is going to cut it for most unless we can get millions there.

This is all a recurring theme. Our military, under heinous conditions is performing as well as can be expected. On the political front, no work is being done at all. We all recall with some humor the Kerry debates where Dubya said “it’s hard work” about a thousand times. But him and his crew, still after six years, are still not ready for prime time.

Bilateral talks with North Korea were roundly rejected by the Bush administration; now embraced with a big shiny bribe to get something done.

Everything is supposed to just happen because the boy king wills it so. When it does not, he is not responsible–it is Maliki’s fault, or Chavez or Clinton. Bush is not responsible, he is irresponsible.

Unfortunately I have no idea until I can track down the original. But if that’s what you’d like to try & use, I’ll keep hunting for the original and let you know. If someone else doesn’t beat me to it…

No rush — there are just days when we can all use it. thanks for looking.

Our military helped fuck this thing up—Franks went into the tank for Clusterfuck at every opportunity- none of em have shown any balls in confronting either the brain dead Clusterfuck or the brain dead Rummy..

The pentagon has been as dysfunctional as anyone else in fuckin this thing up..

I refuse to let the military off the hook here- as if they are valiant warriors who are doin everything well. They haven’t done SHIT- except to make things worse- they get zero credit.

If (or rather when) Bush does start bombing iran, we he people need to have an immediate push back that will bring things to a point here were our opposition is clear. A Washington march maybe one thing but I don’t think that is going to cut it for most unless we can get millions there.

Are any ideas in play?

If you think I’m depressing, you should read this from Ray McGovern (and there’s one even more down). The thinking there is that the only hope is to discourage/prevent the attacks from starting in the first place. Once the attacks begin, and the Iranians retaliate in any way, many americans would rally behind the troops who are being attacked by those religious zealous mullahs in iran. There is no end of the patriotic demogoguery we’re likely to hear, and further escalation will become unstoppable.

Adie, he is being so unfair to you. Do you know any local lawyers who can advise you on your rights here?

This sounds like a neighbor that’s too far beyond reach to be approached with a lovely homebaked pie.

Thank you for your comments, egreg.

You are correct. Lovely fresh tomatoes and veggies worked last summer. This year, they or a pie would probably be thrown back amid shouts & nonsense accusations.

Young, too young, mebbe late teens(?). already a jailbird repeat. ‘camping out’ with girlfriend’s family, what’s left of it since her dad left the bunch of them in a huff.
2nd baby on the way. i have no doubt they all feel trapped, but he can’t hold a job, rarely even tries, can’t stay outta jail. already receiving fam. services help & welfare, such as it is…

best we can figure to do currently is to keep low profile over here & neither incite nor appear vulnerable. yes, we did have to call gendarmes once when a powerful rifle/shotgun(?) discharged right next to our house into our conservation easement property (i.e., protected area). That’s not a crime in these parts(!), ‘cept for the protected property, and fact that jr’ already lost firearms privileges because of earlier hi-jinks.

I used to have friendly chats w/ the head-of-household there. Now she almost never pokes her nose out of house, except to scoot to one of several jobs.

i figure this sorta thing probably could be happening right across the land. The bottom has, quite simply, dropped out for these people. the psyches of some just can’t stand it any more.

and they’re so beyond the pale that help, when it’s available, must be professional, and cautiously applied.

“In this climate, Israel must stop playing the role of satisfied bystander. We must instead constantly project and elaborate on three messages: First, deterrence will not remove “the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” stop the nuclearization of the region or prevent the immediate expansion of Iran’s terrorist proxies and regional influence; second, the measure of sanctions is not whether they have any impact, but whether they are sufficient to force Iran to back down; and third, an international solution is much preferable, but Israel can and will act if the international community does not.”

“In this climate, Israel must stop playing the role of satisfied bystander. We must instead constantly project and elaborate on three messages: First, deterrence will not remove “the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” stop the nuclearization of the region or prevent the immediate expansion of Iran’s terrorist proxies and regional influence; second, the measure of sanctions is not whether they have any impact, but whether they are sufficient to force Iran to back down; and third, an international solution is much preferable, but Israel can and will act if the international community does not.”

Well, if that doesn’t say ‘take Iran out, or we will’, I don’t know what does!!

RAYMORE, MO. — Talk about a nasty divorce. In an announcement last month that left Missouri politicos agape, state Sen. Chris Koster, a rising Republican star and chairman of the Senate’s GOP caucus, abruptly declared himself a Democrat.

Not only did Koster join the marginalized minority party in Missouri, but he did so with a thundering speech that lambasted his former colleagues as ignoring the needs of their constituents and slavishly following the dictates of “religious extremists.”

If (or rather when) Bush does start bombing iran, we he people need to have an immediate push back that will bring things to a point here were our opposition is clear. A Washington march maybe one thing but I don’t think that is going to cut it for most unless we can get millions there.

Are any ideas in play?

If you think I’m depressing, you should read this from Ray McGovern (and there’s one even more down). The thinking there is that the only hope is to discourage/prevent the attacks from starting in the first place. Once the attacks begin, and the Iranians retaliate in any way, many americans would rally behind the troops who are being attacked by those religious zealous mullahs in iran. There is no end of the patriotic demogoguery we’re likely to hear, and further escalation will become unstoppable.

I’m probably going to be accused of being a sick f*ck, but a draft and $9 a gallon gas are about the only thing that will shake the great suburban mass out of their stupor. If that’s what it takes….

“In this climate, Israel must stop playing the role of satisfied bystander. We must instead constantly project and elaborate on three messages: First, deterrence will not remove “the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” stop the nuclearization of the region or prevent the immediate expansion of Iran’s terrorist proxies and regional influence; second, the measure of sanctions is not whether they have any impact, but whether they are sufficient to force Iran to back down; and third, an international solution is much preferable, but Israel can and will act if the international community does not.”

Yes and the advertising campaign has already begun with the NeoCon thugs at The Israel Project. They’s got a little packet all prepared on the Iran issue for journalists. No need for journalists to do actual real journalism-investigating and reporting.http://www.theisraelproject.or…..ss_Kit.htm

But… guy next door in process of blowing his top… again. Seemingly paranoid and potentially quite dangerous to self and others. Wish he could get help. His family trying to cope. We trying to stay out of the way, which seems the best we can do. Still, he’s got a big sign in the hedgerow tw’ our properties: “Stop Staring!” So I get yelled at for filling our bird feeders and tending the garden.

If you think I’m depressing, you should read this from Ray McGovern (and there’s one even more down). The thinking there is that the only hope is to discourage/prevent the attacks from starting in the first place. Once the attacks begin, and the Iranians retaliate in any way, many americans would rally behind the troops who are being attacked by those religious zealous mullahs in iran. There is no end of the patriotic demogoguery we’re likely to hear, and further escalation will become unstoppable.

I’m probably going to be accused of being a sick f*ck, but a draft and $9 a gallon gas are about the only thing that will shake the great suburban mass out of their stupor. If that’s what it takes….

It will take a year to get the draft in place (and even then it won’t be the rich kids who will go, just more of the poor to the slaughter). The oil companies will hold down the prices until we are in so thick we can’t see what is happening.

According to the current issue of Mother Jones magazine and reporters Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet, Hillary Clinton has been participating in bible study and prayer groups since she came to Washington in 1993, first as part of a Washington wives group while she was First Lady, and then as part of an exclusive weekly Senate prayer group when she joined the Senate. That news, in and of itself is not startling given Clinton’s long-standing faith and religious background. Hillary’s willingness to seek out and associate with people of faith, even in such a cutthroat environment as Washington is certainly not disqualifying. But seeking a faith-based area of common ground with those on the other side of the aisle, including many who could easily be described as her and her husband’s enemies does however raise questions about her judgment and what exposure she has as a result of these supposedly confidential associations.

Many will find it understandable and laudatory that she seeks spiritual guidance and reinforcement, and has for years. But what may startle people, including her supporters, is that the group she has associated herself with since 1993 which sponsors these groups as well as the National Prayer Breakfast is very conservative and exclusive. Known now as the Fellowship, it is a group that reporter Sharlet knows very well given his past investigative pieces in Harper’s Magazine several years ago, and a Rolling Stone piece about Sam Brownback in 2006. Digby has written about this group as well. Even though Mother Jones will not post the piece online until Tuesday, I have been given permission to post segments of the piece in the extended entry. I encourage all of you to buy the current issue and read the piece for yourselves, because Hillary’s association with the Fellowship may lead some to question her judgment and true beliefs, given what the group stands for. Having said that, keep in mind that the Senate prayer group has been attended by other Democrats, and seems to be the only group of its type operating on Capitol Hill, which itself raises questions.

Ignorance cannot be an excuse here, because a Google search would tell you the Fellowship believes that Christian elites have a duty to rule the world, and serve Jesus Christ in a higher calling than their duties as leaders of nations. Plainly put, according to Sharlet, “the Fellowship believes that the elite win power by the will of God, who uses them for his purposes. Its mission is to help the powerful understand their role in God’s plan.” The notion that Christian elites should rule the world for the rest of us, and should lead their countries not for the benefit of all, but to pursue God’s plan as defined by the Fellowship and founder Doug Coe runs contrary to what this country was founded upon, and is anything but progressive.
(snip)

“In this climate, Israel must stop playing the role of satisfied bystander. We must instead constantly project and elaborate on three messages: First, deterrence will not remove “the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” stop the nuclearization of the region or prevent the immediate expansion of Iran’s terrorist proxies and regional influence; second, the measure of sanctions is not whether they have any impact, but whether they are sufficient to force Iran to back down; and third, an international solution is much preferable, but Israel can and will act if the international community does not.”

Well, if that doesn’t say ‘take Iran out, or we will’, I don’t know what does!!

They’d prefer to bravely fight the Iranians to the last American solider.

RAYMORE, MO. — Talk about a nasty divorce. In an announcement last month that left Missouri politicos agape, state Sen. Chris Koster, a rising Republican star and chairman of the Senate’s GOP caucus, abruptly declared himself a Democrat.

Not only did Koster join the marginalized minority party in Missouri, but he did so with a thundering speech that lambasted his former colleagues as ignoring the needs of their constituents and slavishly following the dictates of “religious extremists.”

The Cult That Spawned Tough Love includes Straight Inc. founder Mel Sembler, Bush family friend. There’s also WWASP World Wide Association of Specialty Programs founded by Robert Lichfield. He’s a fundraiser for Romney.

I’m probably going to be accused of being a sick f*ck, but a draft and $9 a gallon gas are about the only thing that will shake the great suburban mass out of their stupor. If that’s what it takes….

I think congress needs to enact its “Paygo” rule. Not one additional penny allocated for the “occupation escalation” in Operation Iraqi Liberation, (OIL) until prior debts have been paid. Do not wait until April 15–tax day.

We have 300 million folks in America, probably half on some sort of payroll. Divide the half a trillion war debt by 150 million working stiffs–divide that by the number of weeks till our military runs out of bullets and attach income assignments to every paycheck for this amount.

Whenever someone in Bushco mysteriously (supposedly) shows up in Iraq before a big announcement, I’m sure it’s because they go there to threaten in person the person/troops/Iraqis/Press they want to silence/ventriloquize/manipulate.

Anyone think the press will point out that abysmal failure of the escalation now that Bush has to sneak into Iraq just like he would in any other “successful” democracy like oh England, France, Germany, etc.

And on this Labor Day we have a full court press to sell yet again this sinful, tragic war. With Ari Mouthpiece mounting Million $ on the airwaves to link Iraq with 9/11 et al. Im just alittle young for the WW II framwork, but did we have to do major PR to fight that war? I recall that the Greatest Generation went off in huge numbers with great commitment and did not need some Gold Star mother reminding us of our safety and call for patriotism. The smart guys, like Rich, all say there is no good option here; but shouldn’t we at least try one that is no worn out and discredited? Not according to Ari et al. So just add Iran, while we’ve at it. Not only are the troops struggling with PTSD; no are we at home (clearly to less degree; but still in shock)

Marsden so let me guess you construe any criticism of Iraq policy as “rooting” for the war to go badly? Grow up no one wants our troops to die or the war to go badly but that does not mean we have to sit by idle and silent. The Iraq policy has been a disaster and pointing that out is patriotic and the right thing to do. Trying to use a veneer of guilt to hide petty dislike of those trying to support our troops by bringing them home is typical unpatriotic nonsense shielded in false bravado.

James, Taking your question seriously, the answer is, of course, NO. The tone you are noticing, I think, I how much we long for some truth. We of a certain age cannot help but hear the constant reassurance as a refrain of “light at the end of the tunnel.” And my own cynicism is rooted in the fact that I have not understood from the beginning why we went into this war. If Oil is the honest answer, then we have ripped apart a country for our own purposes; a legitimate analysis I have not heard. So, if the tide has turned, it may take another voice to make that pitch. Do you really believe that the citizens posting here are longing for failure? If oil were the true motive, we should all weep for the losses, the costs, and the deception. Maybe you understand it all better than I do. While I was in the car today, I heard lots of updates that things are looking good over there. Did it really turn so quickly?

Hey, maybe they’ve come to realize he’s a disaster and since Congress won’t stop it’s up to them. They might be convincing him to deciderate to lead the charge into Iran like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove, riding on the first nuke heading into Iran.

I gotta tell ya, I have seen rightwing sites that claim lefties use this term, but I did not believe it. It is so mindbogglingly stupid. I assumed it was just a rightwing slur to claim that lefties used this term.

Re: >BushCo…. S’cuse me. Is something wrong with the reference/figure of speech? What are the rightwings sites objecting to in the phrase? They don’t mind calling Hillary “fatally flawed” or Obama “Osama” or hinting that Edwards is gay? Wonder what their/or your sensitivity is here. Thanks

I gotta tell ya, I have seen rightwing sites that claim lefties use this term, but I did not believe it. It is so mindbogglingly stupid. I assumed it was just a rightwing slur to claim that lefties used this term.

I sit corrected.

Yeah and just wait until you figure out how many deaths BuschCo is responsible for; not to mention how much BushCo has stolen from the US treasury. Mindboggling indeed.